Apparatus for inserting hair into doll heads



Jan. 27, 1953 R. SIEVERS 2,626.619

APPARATUS FOR INSERTING HAIR INTO DOLL. HEADS Filed Sept. 10, 1949 2 SHEETS -SHEET 1 FE ql- F5. c zz- INVENTOR. 20527 5 iczverfis Jan. 27, 1953 R. SIEVERS APPARATUS FOR INSERTING HAIR INTO DOLL HEADS 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed Sept. 10, 1949 INVENTOR. Raberi sievers Patented Jan. 27, 1953 APPARATUS FOR INSERTI-NG. HAIR INTO DOLL. HEADS Robert Sievers, New York, N. Y., assignor to GloriaFigure, 1110., New York, Y.,, a-;:corp.o

.' rationof New .York.

Applicationseptember .10, 1949,.Serial'No. 115,012

'7 Glai-ins. 1.

This invention relates to new and-usefuljimprovements inapplying hairtosurfaces such as dolls heads, and involves a novel method and apparatus for achieving this purpose.

A main object of the invention isto apply the hair more uniformly and with greater speed and accuracy than has hitherto, been possible.

A furtherobject is to provide a machine which will enable an operator without any particular skill, to operate the machine and achieve the improved results easily and rapidly, thus saving time and labor and money.

Further and more specific objects, features, and advantages will more clearly appear from a consideration of the detailed specification hereinafter set forth especially when taken'in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a present preferred form which the invention may assume and which form part of the specification.

Previously, the insertion of hair into surfaces such as 'doll and manikin heads, has been a hand job involving considerable time and labor, and requiring especial skill.

In brief and general terms, the invention herein as to the method involved, concerns the projection of hair into a surface of plastic or somewhat flexible material bymeans of' a mechanically operated needle having "a lateral notchnear its lower end. The bunch or'group of hairs to be projected into the surface are disposed adjacent the side of the needle above the surface to be thustreated, and resilient means are provided to press the bunch-against the side 'ofthe needle so that one or-more hairs are automatically engaged by the notch in the needle as the needle is moved down, and are passed into-the surface, and through the same with the end of each hair extending below the inner surface of the treated head. The flexibility of the treated surface then contracts as the needle is withdrawn so as to grip the portion of hair thus inserted and hold itfirmly in place. After the entire surface is thus treated and the hair is thus evenly disposed thereover, the innersurface of the head where the ends are exposed is treated with suitable adhesive or similar material to firmly bind the loops in position.

The method employed may be stated briefiy, as follows:

'1. Disposing a surface of flexible material adjacent a laterally notched needle.

2. Advancing the needle toward the surface.

3. Resiliently holding a bunch of hairs against theneedle-to bepicke'd upbythe notch'therein.

4. Projecting the end of a hair-through the flexible surface 'to producean-extended portion on the under side thereof;

5. Withdrawing the needle toallow-the sur face material to contract on. the hairs projected therethrough.

6. Adhesively relating the ends of hair to the under side of the surface.

The apparatus which formsone embodiment of mechanism whereby this method-can be-put into practice involves a needle: having a lateral notch near its lower pointed end, which notch has downwardly sloping walls so as=to-grip 'the hair on the down stroke of the'needle and release it on the up stroke thereof.

Adjacent the path of the needle is' a guide block or element having an open slot in one side to receive the needle. Supported from this block or element, is a resilient pressure member-which is resiliently disposed with a portion thereof closely adjacent theopenslot in the block, and adapted to press against the needle as it advances along said slot. The upper portion of this pressure member is outwardly curveclso as to receive a bunch of hair held with relation thereto, and to hold said bunch closely adjacent the needle so that the notch therein may grasp a hair or two and project an end of its'through the flexible material and beyond the under facethereof. When the needle is withdrawn, the material'contracts on the hairs andholds them tightly. The under surface of the-header treated member is then'treated with adhesive or cement Fig. 1 is a side elevationof'theapparatus *employing my invention;

Fig. 2 is aside view of the same'takenatiright angles to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is apartial vertical section taken on,

the line 4-4 of Fig. '1,:'showingithe needleon I the way'down togrip some hairs;

Fig. 5 is a similar section showing the needle projected through the body of the dolls head with the hairs projecting endwise through the material;

Fig. 6 is a similar section showing the needle withdrawing, leaving some hairs in the body of the dolls head;

Fig. '7 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a section of a portion of the material showing the manner in which the ends are adhesively bound to the inner surface of the material after they have all been inserted as described; and,

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a gangof needles in use instead of one needle.

Referring now to the specific embodiment of the apparatus which is one form of mechanism which practices this novel method, it is to be noted that we employ a sewing machine of the usual type having the usual head I in which is mounted a reciprocating bar II, supporting the needle I2. This needleis provided with a lateral notch I3, with downwardly sloping top and bottom walls I4 and I5, and this notch is located near the pointed lower end of the needle.

Adjacent the needle bar I I is disposed the usual presser foot bar 16, which in this case, does not act as a presser foot but is employed in a fixed manner to support at its lower end, a block I! which is adjustably fixed thereon by means of a set screw I 8. This block is provided with a lateral extension having on one face a vertical 'open slot I9, which is disposed in line with the axis of the needle. Supported also on the block IT, is a curved spring or resilient member 28 held thereon by a clamping nut 2|. This curved resilient presser member 20 has'an outer portion which is bent to extend, as shown especially in Figures 4, and 6, upwardly in a curved manner alongside the slot I9 as at 22, and its upper end flares outwardly as at 23 so that this flared portion acts as a sort of support and guide for a bunch of hairs which may be disposed and pressed down thereon.

Beneath the block I? and spaced from its lower surface, is a material-supporting head 24 provided with a vertical aperture 25 disposed in line with the axis of the needle I2. This head is supported on a bar or rod 26, the upper end 21 of which is off-set as shown. The lower end of this supporting. rod may be connected to the base of the sewing machine in any desired manner, as by being adjusted by set screw 28 in a sleeve 29, which may be connected to the base of the sewing machine.

Examination of Figures 4, 5 and 6, Will show that the curved presser member 22 forms a guide path for the hairs, which is wide and open at the top and gradually narrows down until at the bottom of the portion 22, the hairs are held closely adjacent the needle to be effectively engaged by the notch I3 of the needle I 2 and properly passed through the material. The materia1 thus treated is shown at 39 and may be any material through which it is desired to pass ends of hair, but preferably the material is of rubber or other similar flexible materials which are generally used for doll and manikin heads. In this type of material, when the needle descends through it, it will yield somewhat as the needle passes through it but when the needle is withdrawn, the material as shown in Figure 6, will contract and tightly grasp the ends of hair disposed therein.

It is also to be especially noted that the upper end 23 of the presser member curves upwardly and away from the needle in a direction which is substantially in a plane coincident with the plane of the notch in the needle and of the lateral slot I9 in the block IT. A bunch of hair may be grasped in each hand at the opposite ends thereof and then pressed down along the presser member until it lie as shown in Figure 4, in the narrowest part of the path, thus formed and pressed closely against the slot l 9. It is clear that as the needle descends, the notch in it will pick up one or more hairs near the ends thereof and pass this portion down through the material 30 as shown in Figure 5. During this interval, the material of the head yields to permit the needle to pass through but when the needle is withdrawn as shown in Figure 6, the material 30 contracts and holds the end portion tightly in position therein.

The operator may hold the material 30 in his hand and move it between each hair-insertion to permit the hairs to be inserted at whatever density over the surface is desired and with a little practice, this can be done very rapidly so that the time to cover a head or surface evenly and thickly with hairs is greatly reduced and the labor costs also greatly minimized. After the ends are all inserted, the inner surface of the material is coated with suitable cement or adhesive to effectively bind the ends of the hair to the inner surface of the article and thus form a completed article, as shown in Figure 8.

In Figure 9, is shown a modification in which a plurality of needles I2 are employed and a plurality of curved presser members similar to that already described, thus increasing the speed of operation.

While the invention has been described in detail and with respect to the preferred form shown in the drawings, it is not to be limited to such details and forms since many changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest aspects. Hence, it is intended to cover any and all forms and modifications of the invention which may come within the language or scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Apparatus for applying hair to the surface of a material which comprises a notched reciprocatory needle to be advanced through the surface of the material, a block having a slot in line with the needle and along which the needle passes as it is advanced to the surface and means disposed adjacent the needle in advance of the material to press hairs against the side of the needle to be picked up by the notch in the needle and advanced into and through the material.

2. Apparatus for applying hair to the surface of a material which comprises a notched reciprocatory needle to be advanced through the surface of the material, said notch formed in the side of the needle near its pointed end, a block having a slot in line with the needle and along which the needle passes as it is advanced to the surface and means disposed adjacent the needle to resiliently press hairs against the side of the needle to be picked up by the notch in the needle and advanced into and through the surface of the material.

3. Apparatus for applying hair to the surface of a material which comprises a laterally notched reciprocatory needle to be advanced through the surface of the material, the walls of said notch being sloped downwardly, a block having a slot in line with the needle and along which the needle passes as it is advanced to the surface and spring means disposed adjacent the needle to press the hairs against the side of the needle to be picked up by the notch in the needle and advanced through the surface of the material.

4. Apparatus for applying hair to the surface of a material which comprises a laterally notched reciprocatory needle to be advanced through the surface of the material. the top wall of said notch being sloped downwardly, a block having a slot in line with the needle and along which the needle passes as it is advanced to the surface and a curved spring member disposed adjacent the needle to press the hairs against the side of the needle to be picked up by the notch in the needle and advanced through the surface of the material, said spring means curved upwardly and outwardly along the side of the needle to provide an upwardly divergent channel or path to receive the hairs to be pressed against the needle.

5. Apparatus for applying hair to a material surface which comprises a needle having a lateral notch near its lower end with a downwardly sloping upper wall, a block having a vertical slot along which the needle passes as it is advanced toward the material surface, a curved spring member supported on the block and having an end curved up along and parallel to and closely adjacent the slot in the block to press the hairs against the side of the needle, the upper end of said spring member being flared up and outwardly away from the needle to form an upwardly divergent channel or path for the hairs to be introduced thereinto closely against the side of the needle.

6. Apparatus for applying hair to the surface of a material which comprises a plurality of notched reciprocatory needles to be advanced through the surface of the material, a block having a plurality of slots in line with the needles and along which the needles pass as they advance to the surface, and means disposed adjacent the needles in advance of the material to press hairs against the sides of the needles to be picked up by the notches in the needles and advanced into and through the material.

7. Apparatus for applying hair to a material surface which comprises a plurality of needles each having a lateral notch near its lower end with a downwardly sloping upper wall, a block having a plurality of lateral slots along which the needles pass as they advance towards the material surface, and a plurality of curved spring members suppported on the block, each member having an end curved up along and parallel to and closely adjacent a respective slot in the block to press the hairs against the side of a respective needle, the upper ends of said spring members being flared up and outwardly away from the needles to form an upwardly divergent channel or path for the hairs to be introduced thereinto closely against the sides of the needles.

ROBERT SIEVERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 474,842 Legg et al May 17, 1892 546,768 Legg et al. Sept. 24, 1895 1,000,525 Kubelka Aug. 15, 1911 1,186,534 Aldworth June 13, 1916 2,253,635 Mann Aug. 26, 1941 2,377,564 Lundgren June 5, 1945 

